O Ministério das Obras Públicas, Transportes e Comunicações está a estudar a isenção de portagens para os residentes nas zonas envolventes às três auto-estradas sem custos para o utilizador (SCUT), onde se insere a A42 que serve vários concelhos do Vale do Sousa, revela hoje o semanário Sol.

Segundo o porta-voz do ministro António Mendonça «Para cada uma das concessões em que serão introduzidas portagens, estão a ser analisados caso a caso, os sublanços onde eventualmente poderá existir a necessidade de isentar o tráfego local».

A introdução de portagens nas SCUT está marcada para 2010, mas ainda sem data concreta.

En el año 2001, Miguel Gea, Profesor de la Universidad de Granada, tuvo una gran idea. Era simple aunque ambiciosa: facilitar la comunicación de personas discapacitadas. Un servidor, que caminaba buscando proyecto fin de carrera, se tropezó con ella y decició cambiar BI y Análisis de datos por temas mas sociales.

El proyecto Sc@ut es un proyecto de investigación que tiene como finalidad mejorar la capacidad comunicativa del colectivo de personas con necesidades educativas especiales. Las premisas de las que parte esta iniciativa son la búsqueda de un sistema adaptativo de comunicación alternativa que cumpla los siguientes aspectos:

- Mejorar la autonomía personal: que sea portable y de reducidas dimensiones.
- De bajo coste.
- Que sea de fácil aprendizaje e interfaz intuitiva.
- Que facilite la labor pedagógica de los profesores y padres.
- Que permita analizar el rendimiento del alumno.

Actualmente es usado por multitud de personas con dificultades comunicativas (Autistas, Sindrome Down, Hiperactivos, etc).

Poco a poco, iremos contando curiosidades y posibilidades de este software innovador.

Believe it or not, I’m not feeling particularly chatty today.  I’ve been working on a rocket for a bulletin board I’m doing, and I’m going to give it to you without a lot of fanfare or conversation.  You could use the files to create a great scrapbook page element/embellishment or use it in your card making.  I’m thinking boy birthday or if you wanted to really get creative you could even do a romantic card for your sweetie…something along the lines of “You Rock(et) My World” or something equally cheesy. 

I found this awesome png file at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue-rocket.svg.  (Ya’ll know I try to give credit where credit’s due!).  I was hoping I could import it into Inkscape and get the program to trace the layers, but there were just too many color variations, and I’m not the most saavy Inkscape user out there. 

So I opened it in Photoshop and did a lot of work on it.  The result turned out pretty cool.

Click on the image to download a zip file containing a SCAL2 SCUT file, SVG files, and a PDF file listing the dimensions for all pieces for SCAL1 users

There are a few things you need to know about these files:

1.)   This was created as a major element on a bulletin board, so the finished rocket is 8.00″W 10.47″ H.  Of course, you can resize all the pieces to suit your needs.

2.)  This is an ambitious paper piecing…seven layers. 

3.)  I usually try to create a SCAL1 SCUT file for those of you still using SCAL1, but I’m short on time today.  However, I didn’t forget you completely.  The zip file contains a PDF listing the exact dimensions of each piece so you can create this for yourself.  Note that these dimensions will create a supersized rocket…8×10.5″. 

4.)  The new layers function in SCAL2 made it very easy to put together a SCAL2 SCUT file, so that’s included in the zip file.  If you don’t know how to cut layers individually, go to my tutorials page and follow the link to Dan’s video tutorials over at My Crafty Life.  It’s worth your time.  Really.

Hope you can find use for this, and, as always, happy Cricut-ing!!!

iTunes is pissing me off this morning.

There’s an album I need to download (please note my use of the verb NEED…not want), and the software is not cooperating. 

First, it required that I install an update…which took FOR-EV-ER!!!!  Then after many LONG minutes of not-so-patiently waiting, the update did not install properly.  So now in order to download the album I NEED, I have to uninstall the software and reinstall it. 

AAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!

I’m sure you’re wondering why I don’t just use another music service.  I have considered that option.  But I’m afraid that if I take my $9.99 and spend it elsewhere I will bring about the complete financial collapse of Apple. 

Snort….yeah, right.

Anyway…my misery and frustration this morning is all my DD’s fault.

Before I go on to explain how my adorable pre-schooler is completely responsible for this hair-pulling episode, you must know this about me.  I am a complete and total U2 addict.  Shamefully, my addiction to this amazing band from Dublin even surpasses my addiction to my Cricut. 

Back in March I purchased the DELUXE edition of U2’s new album No Line on the Horizon.  I was in U2 heaven…for a while. 

Then a few days ago I made the mistake of taking my CD out of the car and bringing it into the house for the purpose loading it to my portable media player. 

Apparently my DD procured the CD from my desk.  She then proceeded to mar its glorious surface with dirty little girl fingerprints and some sort of sticky slime that I can only assume was gummy infused saliva, which all  moms know has greater adhesive properties than super glue. 

Now…while I am a HUGE U2 fan (perhaps even bordering on the obsessive…which I know is a confession that shocks you because it’s sooooo not like me!), even I have never licked one of their CD’s!!!!  (Fondled one maybe, but that’s another story )

To add insult to injury, not only did my DD touch and lick my CD, she also managed to put a very deep and indelible scratch across the entire width of it. 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m going to call my dad tonight and share my agony with him.  And although he’s entirely too much of a prince to say it, he’ll think something along the lines of “Payback’s a witch.”

You see, my dad is a HUGE Barbara Streisand fan.  And when I was little (coincidentally the same age as my DD is now) I got my hands on his prized copy of Hello Dolly.  I then proceeded to lay the LP on the floor, stand on it, and do the twist. 

He’s long forgiven me, but he’s never forgotten. 

Neither apparently have the fates.

Yeah…payback’s a witch.

So…in honor of the witchiness of fates and payback…and of course in honor of the approaching Halloween night, here’s a few files for your entertainment.

Click on the Image to Download a Zip File containing SVG Files for All Three Layers & SCUT Files for SCAL1 and SCAL2

I’m not one to embellish my embellishments…too lazy I suppose.  But this baby got a few extra touches.  First, Cauldron01 (background base) is cut from black cardstock.  I then mixed a bit of silver and black acrylic paint and applied it sparingly using a small sponge. 

I wanted a bit of high light on the cauldron, so I cut Cauldron02 from vellum.  White vellum.  When I removed it from my cutting mat and laid it on top of the black base I got a creation that can only be described as UG-A-LEE!!!!   I glued it down anyway, added a tiny bit more of silver paint to the black/silver mix I used on the background, and then sponged the vellum. 

I then cut my green witches brew (Cauldron03) and added it, running along a yellow Tombo marker along its edges.  I’m sure I’ll mess with that a bit more. 

Anyway…if you’re interested, here’s a zip file containing svg files for all three layers of the cauldron as well as scut files for both SCAL1 and SCAL2. 

I’m going to go try to get my U2 fix, but here’s wishing you all Happy Cricut-ing!!!

Doi muncitori la o pauză de ţigară.

- (Dumitru)    Ba Vasile, am auzit că vor să trimită americani o rachetă pe soare.
- (Vasile)        Păi cum ba Dumitre că doar soarele arde, cum să trimită.
- (Dumitru)   Păi cică au inventată un scut care îi fereşte de căldura soarelui.
- (Vasile)        Ba dar proşti suntem şi noi.
- (Dumitru)   De ce bă Vasile.
- (Vasile)       Păi trimite noaptea racheta mă şi aşa nu îi mai arde soarele, ba Dumitre.

Poveste spusă de un prieten care o ştie de la alt prieten care la rândul lui o ştie de la ăla mic şi negru şi care sufla greu.

In case you haven’t heard, SCAL 2 is available.

There’s been grumbling.  There’s been griping.  And trust me, I understand the frustration ya’ll are feeling.  Times are tough, money’s tight, so who really wants to fork over some more of what we don’t have enough of? 

I’ve been holding off on the upgrade myself, but I only have so much self-restraint.  So I finally broke down yesterday and forked over 35 bucks to upgrade my SCAL.

Before this morning, I thought the cash I paid for version 1 was the best money I’d ever spent.  Let me just say….I WAS WRONG!!!  Buying the upgrade is the best money I’ve spent I’ve spent in a LONG LONG LONG time. 

The new features are AWESOME!!!  It’s so much easier to manipulate type now.  And the new layer function and the trace image function!!!!  I’m practically orgasmic!!!

This morning I sat down to create a title for a halloween page. The layer function allowed me to create all the pieces and lay them one on top of the other so I could really see how they fit together. Happy Dance Happy Dance Happy Dance!

Here are some things you’ll need to know before trying to reproduce this page title. 

(1)  The font I used is Zombie.  So if you don’t have it, you can download it here from dafont.com. 

(2)  I’ve set up this scut file to cut all the layers at once.  That’s just my personal preference.  I’d rather put all my paper pieces on my cutting mat and load it once.  You may prefer to cut the layers one at the time.  If you’re new to SCAL2 and don’t know how to use layers, I suggest checking out my Tutorials page.  There’s a link there to a fabulous tutorial by Dan over at My Crafty Life.  Watching it may just be the best five minutes and seventeen seconds you’ve spent recently. 

(3)  I used the new auto trace feature in SCAL2 to trace the bat jpg.  (That was the coolest!!!)  The jpg included two little yellow eyes on each bat.  Of course, those eyes are too small for the Cricut to cut, but if you look carefully at them once they’ve come out of the Cricut, you’ll see where the eyes should go.  I used a big safety pin to poke holes in those spots so the yellow of my moon would show through.  I also wiggled the safety pin a little bit to enlarge the eye holes even more.

(4)  You can dowload the scut file for SCAL2 here.  Sized as is, it will produce a title that’s about 4 1/2″ W x 3 1/4″ H.  Of course, you can always resize the elements to suit your individual needs.

(5)  If you’re still using SCAL version 1, this project sucks for you, because this scut file can’t be opened using SCAL1.  However, don’t fret too much.  I’ve got to go make beds and put on some dinner and do a few of the other household chores that are screaming for my attention, but I plan on posting a version of this that can be used with your SCAL1 either later tonight or tomorrow. 

In the meantime, have a hauntingly happy time with SCAL2!!!

P.S.  For those of you still using SCAL1, here’s a scut file for you as well.  The dimensions aren’t exactly the same, but they’re close.  Also due to the limitations of SCAL1, I couldn’t weld both the “Happy” and the “aunting” pieces together and still make sure that the shadow fit.  I could bore you with the details of why the Zombie font was difficut to shadow, and all the steps I had to take to create the shadow, but I won’t.  Let’s just say it wasn’t as easy as changing the style to Blackout Shadow.  This was due to problems with the font itself, not any functionality of SCAL1 or SCAL2. I don’t have time to try the scut file out for myself right now, but I’ll try to do that later tonight or tomorrow.  When I do, I’ll post a picture for you.

Those of you who read my blog on a fairly regular basis (many thanks to both of you!!!) know that I’m a self-confessed obsessive compulsive.

My OCD-ism encompassess several areas of my life…none of which happen to be cooking or housekeeping (much to my husband’s dismay).  Of course, my Cricut is one of those OCD objects.

Another is the HBO series True Blood. 

Every Sunday night, my BFF comes over, and she, my DH, and I spend an hour riveted to the television.  Then my BFF and I spend another hour watching next week’s previews (over and over, in regular and    s  l  o  w    motion) and dissecting the series to death.  My DH, who remains rapt during the show, falls asleep during this portion of the evening.  (Which is all right with us because it allows us to pant over Eric in an unrestrained and often shameful manner.)

Of course, my BFF and I are simply aghast that we have only one episode left before Season 2 comes to an end, and we’re discussing what we’re going to do to provide us with our “Blood” fix while we wait for HBO to unveil Season 3.  (Which of course will take them entirely too long, and we simply can’t understand why those darn actors and directors and producers and other staff can’t work night and day for the next century to provide us with all the Blood that we require for existence.)

So in honor of the show that’s brought so many thrills and chills and yes – even laughter – to our Sunday evenings, here a bit of my favorite Shreveport bar for you.

The Bar With A Bite

After a long and often fruitless Internet search, I finally found a hi-res *.eps file for the Fangtasia logo on www.brandsoftheworld.com.  This provided me with exactly what I needed to create a really good quality  *.svg file and *.scut file for your use. 

As always, happy Cricut-ing!!!

P.S.  If you’re wondering who the smoky and sexy growl in today’s audio selection belongs to, check out http://jaceeverett.com, and, yes, his music is available on iTunes.

If you wandered here today expecting a humor-filled post to give you a giggle, I’m sorry to report that you’re going to be deeply disappointed.  

Today dawned gray and gloomy, and the sky pissed a fine mist over my disposition all morning.  I couldn’t get revved up, despite nearly an entire pot of coffee, and I was feeling funky. 

I suppose we all have days like these.  Days where nothing’s really wrong but nothing’s really right either.  Days when we just feel out-of-sorts and strange in our own skin. 

So I decided to listen to a bit of music in hopes that it might lift my spirits.  (You can click on the arrow to check out what I chose as my gray-gloomy-day inspiration.) 

My selection turned out to be the inspiration I needed to complete another paper-piecing for my summer scrapbook pages.

Here Comes the Sun

You can dowload a zip file containing three *.svg files (one for each piece) and one *.scut file to cut the entire thing here.  Or, if you happen to be a glutton for punishment you can download the individual files:  (1) Flaming-Sun-Background.svg   (2) Flaming-Sun-Center-Circle.svg   (3)Flaming-Sun-Center-Swirl.svg   (4) Flaming-Sun-All-Pieces.scut.

Many thanks to Paul, John, George and Ringo for making music that can lighten the gloomiest of skies. 

And here’s wishing all of you happy Cricut-ing.

Candva … de mult mi-am jurat sa nu mai pun suflet in nimic, o lunga perioada de timp mi-a reusit foarte bine… mi-a fost bine… nu am suferit… nu am plans… nu am simtit dezamagiri, de cate ori simteam ca vreun sentiment apare, ma retrageam in cochilia mea… in spatele unui scut… si nimeni nu reusea sa treaca de el…

A venit o zi… in care nu stiu cum sau de ce, nu am mai vrut sa ma retrag in spatele scutului… m-am lasat descoperita… am vrut ca cineva sa vada in spatele mastii de femeie rece si sigura pe ea… sufletul acela care a iubit si a suferit candva…  Nu stiu ce a vazut, sau daca a vazut… dar in sufletul asta a incoltit ceva… un sentiment placut… un amestec de teama si speranta… de siguranta si incertitudine… un sentiment nestiut pana acum… Cu fiecare zi… sentimentul se definea tot mai bine… iar sufletul se hranea din nou cu emotii, tresariri, sperante, asteptari, priviri, zambete…… Dar… (din pacate exista si un DAR…) a venit o clipa… s-au rostit niste cuvinte… care au daramat tot… nu fusese decat un vis… un suflet care sperase, care a avut curajul sa viseze, a inteles inca o data ca… trebuie sa viseze doar in somn… visele cu ochii deschisi nu fac altceva decat sa produca suferinta… Mintea a priceput repede… si a si acceptat (prin puterea ratiunii) dar el, sufletul, nu are ratiune… si s-a revoltat… a tresarit… s-a zvarcolit… s-a chinuit… nu a inteles… de ce in acea zi nu s-a mai ascuns in spatele scutului… de ce a stat sa fie iar ranit… de ce a vrut sa simta… Sufletul a vrut sa retraiasca acele simtiri… oarecum a reusit… printre lacrimi… priviri triste sau pareri de rau… incurajari… nu a fost decat o amagire… o prelungire a agoniei… Iar acum sufletul va trebui sa intre iar in spatele scutului pe care nu il va mai inlatura vreodata… nu va mai permite nici unui sentiment iscoditor sa il vada sau sa il atinga… de acum doar ratiunea va conta… cu toate ca sufletul va tresari in spatele scutului  ori de cate ori va auzi aceasta melodie, care am sperat sa nu mi se potrivesca niciodata… dar a venit si niciodata…

Pe zi ce trece, cand iesim pe strada, vedem din ce in ce mai multi tineri cu fire iesindu-le din urechi. Si ma refer strict la tineri, caci ei sunt cei care folosesc acest mijloc de a asculta muzica intr-o proportie foarte mare, mijloc pe care adultii nu prea il inteleg.

Pentru mine, firele alea conectate la un player pornit inseamna deconectare, inseamna izolarea mea in propria-mi persoana atunci cand merg pe strada, cand stau in banca sau cand sunt intr-un cerc in care chiar nu ma intereseaza cine sau despre ce se discuta. Iar cand impart acele fire cu cineva, inseamna ca intre noi exista o legatura stransa. Nu-mi impart firele cu oricine, cum nu-mi impart nici sufletul.

In astfel de momente cand te auto-transporti pe strada, muzica actioneaza ca un scut impotriva zgomotelor de aglomeratie urbana: claxoane, fluieraturi, motoare care paraie, muzici orientale ce vin din masini straine care au fost cumparate din bani nu tocmai curati, copii care urla, muncitori educati care striga dupa fete in loc sa paveze nenorocita de strada. Si de ce sa te enervezi din cauza atator zgomote cand poti, pur si simplu, sa apesi acel buton pe care e desenat un triunghi cu varful indreptat inspre est, si sa lasi muzica sa-ti faca drumul mai usor si mai placut?

Muzica ce vine din castile noastre e ca muzica ce vine din boxele aflate in masinile lor. Singura diferenta e ca noi o ascultam fara sa facem zgomot, fara sa ne dorim sa fim remarcati. Ea doar ne ajuta. Iar daca vezi un om cu fire din acelea in urechi, care zambeste in timp ce merge pe strada, sa stii ca nu e nebun. Fie asculta ceva ce ii place, fie e indragostit si se indreapta spre sufletul lui pereche.

Blogdolescenta muzicala.

Yum yum this is one of my favorite SVGs. If only it could magically come out of the screen.

Enjoy! Click on the image or click here for your download.

Here is yesterday’s post, late. A cute bunny silhouette for Easter and Spring decorating.

Enjoy!

To download the zip file click on the image above or click here.

Hello to all out there to all of you creative people! I stumbled upon this question in one of the forums I belong to so I thought I would write about it here as well. So just as an example if you want to import let’s say a KNK file …. well…….first things first KNK stands for (Klic n’ Kut) this is just one of the die cutting machines out on the market . A KNK file is made with their software. OK so to all Cricut users out there since we can’t just run out and but yet another die cutter if you find a design you like you can convert it to an SVG file in order to cut it with SCAL.   (this can work with AI,EPS,GSD files)

( NOTE of Warning: Some files are just too large and will not work with this)

First you will need the file that is in a PDF format, if not you can try to convert it to a PDF file if you don’t have Adobe Acrobat software there are a couple freeware programs that will convert your files to PDF format (here’s one PrimoPDF, DoPDF,Neevia and the list goes on just choose which one suits you best) After you have converted your file to a PDF you now can import it into inkscape.

• Open new file in inkscape
• Select  File –>Import (select your file)
• It will then let you know it is converting it to a .text file say OK
• If the file is not too large it will show up on your blank inkscape file 

Post ammended below for Clarification:

typing this with one hand and a baby in the other sorry if there are any grammatical errors.

WARNING: Oh Yeah! Frustration will be part of the process but if you are like me you just keep doing it until you have spent a boat load of time working on just one file. (I have never claimed to be normal )

Disclaimer: please don’t hold me accountable if these suggestions don’t work.

So to everyone ……I wan’t to just clarify some things because I don’t want any one to be confused I guess in a long about way what I was trying ta get at is that to those of you who are not aware you can import a PDF file into inkscape (some cut files will sometimes be offered in this format by the designers) and once you have your image imported into inkscape you can then trace it as a bitmap and start palying around with it.

Now to those of you who have or know anyone who has KNK studio (GE) or the Graphtex software you can convert the files to a PDF file and this is where the free PDF converters come into play ( see post above) Kay is correct to point out that without the native software printing cannot be achieved because the manufacturer’s of all the diff. die cutters have all different software and all of them have their own proprietary file formats, so you can’t necessarily open files designed using different software, unless they share a format that is common to both. Usually designs that have been created using each software is saved with their proprietary file format but can sometimes give you the option to export it in a few other common formats.

OK so to all who don’t own the above software programs here is another method…. you can of course, go the screen capture method and then trace in Inkscape as bitmap.

In conclusion I would just like to say that there is really no easy one button way to convert cut files there are definitely ways to do it but deifnitely not for the faint of heart. You will spend an inconceivable amount of time for a cut so it better be a really really great cut or if you are just crazy like me you just spend time on it anyway and get obssesed with the project : ) .

Today is my little guys first birthday, so I thought it would be appropriate to make him a card in honor of his big day!

This SVG cut is for a square card I recommend sizing it 5″ by 5″. When you are cutting it will be 10″ by 5″ and you will fold it. There is also an SVG file for an inner layer with cuts saying ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’. I recommend using a thinner two tone paper, with one side white/light colour and the other side darker/dark yellow.

I got the idea from this book ‘I Love Card Making’ by Amy Gooda, and I DO love it! It’s filled with great ideas for card making for every occasion.

To start your download click on the card image above or click here.

Enjoy!

Hello, good day! Today is special because it’s the launch of my new ‘Free SVG Friday’. Every Friday I will upload a new file that you can download and cut!
This week the file is the Birdie Frame.

You can click on the picture to start the download or this link to get your download starting.

The file download is linked to my free Google site and is, to my full knowledge, virus free. However, I recommend that after you download it you should scan it with your virus protection software before opening just to be safe.

Fiecare din noi a suferit sau a facut pe altcineva sa sufere din dragoste. Poate la urmatoarea relatie ne-am pus un scut si am afisat o masca tocmai din acest considerent, pentru a evita ceea ce multi numesc ” dragostea asta bat’o vina.” Ne-am obisnuit sa gandim sentimentele si uitam sa le simtim, traim prea mult pentru celalalt incat ajungem sa-l sufocam. Dorim ca intr-o relatie sa-l acaparam definitiv pe celalalt, sa-l schimbam dupa propriul plac, dar oare nu uitam ca nu asta ne-a cucerit? Ca tocmai felul lui/ei de a fi ne-a atras atentia? De ce sa-l ingradim in jurul casei noastre si sa nu-i dam libertatea de a calatori, de a vedea si restul lumii? A iubi nu inseamna a schimba pe celalalt, nici macar in bine. A iubi inseamna a-l accepta pe celalalt cu calitati si, mai ales, cu defectele pe care le are. Iar daca cuplul ajunge sa se iubeasca cu adevarat, schimbarile necesare vin de la sine, sau se lucreaza impreuna la ele, nici intr-un caz nu trebuie sa fie cineva care domina relatia. O relatie exista in primul rand pentru tine. Atunci cand te avanti in prapastie stii ca exista cele mai mari sanse sa mori, depinde de adancimea ei. Poti insa la fel de bine sa fii salvat prinzandu-te de un copacel crescut pe panta prapastiei. Asa e si intr-o relatie, nu stii de la inceput daca o sa suferi sau nu. Important e sa-ti asumi riscul, sa stii ca daca vei suferi, sa nu-ti para rau. O relatie exista pentru a fi fericit, nici intr-un caz pentru a face doar sacrificii pentru celalalt. O relatie trebuie sa faca doi oameni sa se simta bine, iar asta nu pentru prieteni, nu pentru parinti, nu pentru dragul de a avea o relatie. Esti pregatit sa te avanti in prapastie stiind ca exista doua posibilitati: sa fii sau nu fericit?

Okay.  My friends and my family will all vouch for the truthfulness of the statement I’m about to make.

I’m a bit obsessive-compulsive.

But my mental illness is your gain.

I couldn’t resist another quick post for my St. Paddy’s Day celebration.

One of the Benefits of my OCD-ism

Grab your svg file or your scut file or both!!!

Happy Cricuting!

I’m feeling a wee bit o’ the green today…emerald green, that is.

St. Paddy’s Day is rapidly approaching, and I’m getting in the spirit by creating several svg and scut files to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint.

Today’s offering is an Irish flag paper piecing. 

Fly Your Irish Colors

Grab the black background, the orange, the white, and the green as svg files.  Or, if you prefer, grab a scut file with all the pieces included (just remember when laying out your pieces on your cutting mat, the flag parts are in order left to right — orange, white, green).

Happy Cricuting!

First, I apologize for posting another mock-up instead of an actual picture, but, in case you haven’t seen my previous post of today, my Canon is officially dead. 

I’ll replace it sometime in the coming week, but in the meantime, I wanted to get this up since I have a few free hours without the children whining or tattling on each other.  “Mom! She touched me!”  “Mommy!  He made me mad!”

I don’t get to pick when the lightening of inspiration strikes, and yesterday it lit up the sky at almost midnight, just when I was about to give up the ghost and shut down the Internet.

That’s about the time I stumbled upon a website for Uppercase Living, which motivated me to make a special present for my DS’s teacher for Valentines Day. 

I did not duplicate Uppercase Living’s exact design in the creation of this project, though it was very very tempting because it was so adorable.  However, I did take broad creative license with it and leaned on it heavily as I created my own.    (As always, I try to give credit where credit is due.)

Anyway, the idea was so cute, and I just happened to have all the supplies on hand that I needed (one of the benefits of hoarding supplies — also one of the curses) and four hours later I had a very cute gift to send to a wonderful teacher and a serious case of sleep deprivation.

Juan!  Juan Valdez!!!  Paging Senor Valdez!!!!!!

Midnight Inspiration, Anyone?

Please don’t let the four hour thing freak you out.  It will not take you as long.  I swear!!!  A good part of that time was spent using Photoshop’s custom shape tool to create the jpegs for the heart apple and all its pieces, and to resize the text and little hearts to fit on the path I wanted.  Then of course, I had to convert the jpegs to svgs in Inkscape.  And because I painted the board and its edges as well as the heart apple with stencil paint, I spent quite a bit of time waiting for paint to dry so I could move on to the next step.  If I had vinyl in all the colors I needed, it wouldn’t have taken quite so long to finish because I could have rubbed instead of stenciling, but this is a great example of how flexible the Cricut is. 

Instructions for this project can be found on my Projects page.

The svg file for the lettering can be found here.  The heart apple is in several different pieces in several different svg files: the heart apple can be found here, the stem can be found here, the leaf can be found here, and the apple seeds can be found here.  And last but not least, I’ve also created a scut file with all the pieces of the apple in it for ease of use, and it can be found here.

I only hope DS’s teacher enjoys the finished project as much as I enjoyed creating it.  I hope you enjoy it, too.

As always — happy Cricuting.

It’s no wonder I’m obsessed with my Cricut!  The darn thing does everything but the dishes!!!

Not only have I done some really cool cards for my very special Valentines, but this weekend, despite having a fever of over 101 degrees, I finally finished the vinyl lettering to go over my back door in the kitchen. 

Fever? What fever?

When I say finally, you have to understand that I’ve had the scut files completed for some time, but what I didn’t have, and what I really needed, was a 12×24 mat.  And, being the total cheapskate that I sometimes am, I was waiting until I could find them on sale (thank you, Joann.com!).

They arrived early last week, but due to other committments, I couldn’t get around to actually cutting the vinyl.  Then Wednesday night, the virus set in.  No stomach upset (yay!!!) but basically I wallowed around in my fleeciest jammies and a sweater and TWO pairs of very thick socks.  I never wear socks!  I’m the original barefoot contessa!  When I put on socks, you know I’m sick. 

But by Friday I couldn’t stand it a moment longer, and I dragged myself from my deathbed to finish this project.

You have to excuse the fact that the jpeg I included in this post is an extremely-close-to-actual-scale mock up of the beautiful lettering now gracing my back door.  My Canon has still not been repaired, and as of the writing of this post, the techs at Canon have still not ascertained the exact problem with my camera.  Therefore, my technical abilities are somewhat limited at this time. 

Crap.  Crap squared.  Crap cubed.  Crap to the nth degree.

I’ve never been a “the one who dies with the most toys wins” type of person.  But there are a few things I’ve discovered that, while I can live without them, I really really really really don’t want to.  The first one of those things is my computer.  The second is my camera.  The third is my Cricut.

I sort of feel like Steve Martin in The Jerk, wandering around the house saying, “I don’t need anything except this computer and that’s it and that’s the only thing I need, is this computer. I don’t need this or this. Just this computer. And this camera – the computer and the camera and that’s all I need. And this Cricut. The computer, the camera and the Cricut, and that’s all I need. And this vinyl.  The computer, and this vinyl, and the Cricut and the camera. And this paper. The computer, this camera and the Cricut and this paper and that’s all I need. And that’s all I need too. I don’t need one other thing, not one – I need this! The camera, and the glitter markers, and the Cricut, and the vinyl, for sure. Well what are you looking at? What do you think I am, some kind of a jerk or something? And this! And that’s all I need. The computer, the Cricut, the camera, these rhinestone stickers and the glitter markers.”

Anyway, now that I’ve bored you terribly with a really really lousy impersonation of a very funny man in a very funny movie that I haven’t watched in a very long time, I’ll spare you the minute details of how to do the project.  If you’d like the minute details, leave a comment asking for them, and I’ll email you the instructions.

I will tell you that you can download the scut files for the heart scroll here and the wording here. 

PLEASE NOTE:  The font I used for this project is Inspiration.  Designed by the very talented Rob Leuschke, this is NOT a free font.  I looked high and low in search of something that approximated the style of this font, with no success.  This is truly an original.  What does this mean for you?  It means that if you do not have Inspiration installed on your computer, this scut file will not work for you.  You can purchase the font at http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/typesetit/inspiration/, and, if you do, you’ll be amazed at the number of uses you’ll find for it. 

It’s a as always, Happy Cricuting!!!